TAUSEEF AHMAD
BANDIPORA, Jan 12: The Congress party in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district was rocked by a serious internal crisis on Monday after a group of its core grassroots workers publicly announced that they were distancing themselves from the party, exposing deepening cracks within the local organisation and mounting resentment against the sitting MLA and party leadership.
The dramatic development unfolded during a press conference addressed by the former district president of the Congress, who was flanked by senior party leader and veteran worker Ghulam Nabi Tantray. The leaders declared that they would no longer maintain any political or organisational contact with Bandipora MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, accusing him of repeatedly ignoring the very workers who had ensured his electoral victories over the years.
Ghulam Nabi Tantray, who has been closely associated with Nizam-ud-Din Bhat since 2002 and has played a pivotal role in mobilising support for him during multiple elections, did not mince words while expressing his disillusionment. He said the loyalty, hard work and sacrifices of grassroots workers had been systematically sidelined once elections were over.
“We have worked day and night during election campaigns to make sure that MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat emerged victorious, but after every win, our voices, concerns and efforts were ignored,” Tantray told reporters. “The same workers who stood on the streets, knocked on doors and mobilised voters were left out when decisions were being made.”
He said that over the years, repeated appeals for recognition, respect and inclusion in party affairs fell on deaf ears, creating a growing sense of alienation among long-time Congress supporters in the district. According to Tantray, the disconnect between the leadership and ground-level workers has now reached a breaking point.
Expressing regret over his past political efforts, Tantray said the trust placed in the party and its leadership had been betrayed. “I feel sorry for the way votes were taken from the people in the name of the Congress and then forgotten. We put our credibility and reputation on the line, but it was not honoured,” he said.
He added that the situation had not only weakened the party internally but had also damaged its standing among ordinary voters in Bandipora, who increasingly feel that their representatives have become inaccessible and unresponsive after being elected.
In a clear sign of a political realignment, Tantray announced that the dissident group would now chart its own independent political path. “From now on, we will stand with the people who supported us when it mattered the most. We will fight future elections on our own strength and not under anyone’s shadow,” he declared.
The public rebellion by such influential and experienced workers is being seen as a major blow to the Congress in Bandipora, a district where grassroots mobilisation has traditionally played a decisive role in electoral outcomes. Political observers say the split could significantly weaken the party’s organisational structure and voting base in the region ahead of future elections, while also sending a strong warning to the party leadership about the growing dissatisfaction among its rank and file.
